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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




014 541 339 4 



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JFHCIAL HISTORY 



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ENDORSED BY 




ST. AUGUSTINE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE 
AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY 








FORT MARION 
CITY GATES 

ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA 

(SECOND EDITION) 

PRICE 15c. 



COPYRIGHT 1915 
W. J. HARRIS CO. 



.^JM^ 







FORT MARION FROM TOWER. 
ST. AUGUSTINE. FLA. 

Showing hot shot oven, where shot was 
heated red hot to fire at wooden vessels, sea 
wall and water battery, moat, Matanzas Bay, 
bridge to South Beach and Bay front of city. 
Fort commenced in 1565 and now one of the 
most historic landmarks of Spanish history in 
the U. S. 







PREFACE. 

In this work we have attempted a brief summary 
of the important events connected with the history of 
Fort Marion and the City Gates, and in so doing we 
must necessarily present the more important facts 
connected with the history of St. Augustine. 

The facts and dates contained herein are in accord- 
ance with the best authority obtainable. 

For many of these facts we are indebted to Dr. 
DeWitt Webb, president of the St. Augustine Institute 
of Science and Historical Society; to Sergeant Brown 
who has been in charge of Fort Marion since August, 
1885 ; to Mr. H. S. Wylhe who has devoted much time 
to research work in connection with the history of St. 
Augustine and who is now acting as guide at Fort 
Marion; to Fairbanks History of Florida; and the 
'' Unwritten History of St. Augustine ", by Miss Brooks 
who visited Spain in the interests of the Historical 
Society and obtained these facts. 



INDEX. 

. Page 

Preface 1 

Discovery of Florida 3 

Founding of St. Augustine 3 

Attacks 3-4 

John Davis 4 

Governor Moore 4-5 

Colonel Palmer 5 

Governor Oglethorpe 5 

Revolutionary War 6 

Florida Ceded to United States 6 

The Civil War 6 

Prisoners of War 6-7 

Commencement and Description of the Present 
Fort 7 

Built of Coquina 7-8 

Bastions and Towers 8 

Plaza, Ramp and Terreplein 8-9 

Casemates 9 

Court Room— (OSCEOLA) 9-10 

Council Chamber and Powder Magazine 10 

Chapel 10-11 

Secret Dungeons 11-12 

Moat 12-13 

Hot Shot Oven. 13 

City Gates and Early Defenses of St. Augustine, 
1702-27 13-14 

St. Augustine Chronological Table 15-16 



DISCOVERY OF FLORIDA. 

^i UAN PONCE DE LEON, in search of the Fountain 

^ of Youth, discovered Florida March 27, 1513. He 

landed at the Indian village of " Seloye " on the 

spot where St. Augustine now stands. He did not 

attempt to make a settlement but returned to Cuba 

where he died. 



FOUNDING OF ST. AUGUSTINE. 

The first permanent settlement, on what is now 
the territory of the United States, was established by 
Pedro Menendez de Aviles on August 28, 1565, on the 
spot where St. Augustine now stands. His expedition, 
which sailed from Cadiz, Spain, in July of that year, 
consisted of 2600 souls, embarked on board 34 vessels, 
the largest of, which was of 1000 tons burden. 

There being great danger of attack by both the 
French and English, work was at once commenced on 
a fort, or castle, which they called San Juan de Pinos. 
This structure was built of logs and earth. 



ATTACKS. 

In 1586 Sir Francis Drake arrived off St. Augus- 
tine. He immediately landed his troop on Anastasia 
Island, intending to make an attack the next day. Dur- 
ing the night, however, the Spaniards fled from the 
castle, leaving behind 13 or 14 great pieces of brass 
ordinance and 2000 pounds sterling, which had been 
sent to pay the soldiers. Upon learning that the soldiers 
had fled Drake immediately crossed the bay and plun- 



OFFICIAL HISTORY 



dered and destroyed the fort. The following day as 
they were marching toward the town, which was then 
beyond Maria Sanchez Creek, southwest of where the 
Ponce de Leon Hotel now stands, a Spaniard fired from 
ambush, killing Drake's sergeant-major. In retaliation 
for this Drake burned the town and destroyed the gar- 
dens. 

After the departure of Drake the Spaniards began 
work on another fort. This was built of wood and 
earth, in the shape of an octagon. A few years later 
coquina came into general use and was largely used in 
strengthening and enlarging the fortifications. 



JOHN DAVIS. 

In 1665, the famous pirate, John Davis, plundered 
and burned the town, but obtained little booty. The 
castle was not taken, but after his departure the plans 
were changed and the work of reconstructing the castle 
as it stands today was begun. 



GOVERNOR MOORE. 

In 1702 Governor Moore, of South Carolina, sent 
an expedition, consisting of 600 militia and the same 
number of Indians, against St. Augustine. Part of the 
expedition under Colonel Daniels came by land, at- 
tacked and took immediate possession of the town, the 
troops and inhabitants retiring to the fort. Governor 
Moore arrived shortly after with a naval force, but, 
owing to the lack of heavy siege guns, no impression 
on the fort could be made. Colonel Daniels was then 
sent to Jamaica for the necessary artillery, but during 



OFFICIAL HISTORY 



his absence two Spanish vessels appeared before the 
harbor and, fearing his retreat might be cut off, Moore, 
after a siege of three months, abandoned the undertak- 
ing and returned to South CaroHna. Before he retired, 
however, he committed the barbarity of burning the 
town — making the third time St. Augustine had been 
reduced to ashes by an invading force. 



COLONEL PALMER. 

In 1727 Col. Palmer of Carolina, crossed the Atta- 
maha river with 300 white troopers and a large band 
of Indians. He laid waste all northern Florida, " To 
the very gates of St. Augustine " (Fairbanks) . This 
is the first mention of the gates. It is evident there- 
fore that they were built between the time of Governor 
Moore's raid in 1702 and Palmer's attack in 1727. 



GOVERNOR OGLETHORPE. 

In 1740 Governor Oglethorpe, of Georgia, besieged 
St. Augustine. On June 12th he opened fire with five 
batteries located on the island and mainland across the 
bay. The garrison at that time consisted of about 750 
men, while the total population of all classes was about 
2100. The inhabitants all took refuge in the fort, 
where they were compelled to remain for 38 days, dur- 
ing the heat of the summer, until the siege was raised 
on July 20th. The bombardment did little damage ow- 
ing to the spongy nature of the material of which the 
walls are constructed. Many holes where cannon balls 
entered the walls on the water side may still be seen. 



OFFICIAL HISTORY 



REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 

Florida, which was in the possession of England 
from 1763 to 1783, remained loyal to that country dur- 
ing the Revolutionary War. After the fall of Charles- 
ton 61 gentlemen of high standing, believed by the 
British to be promoters of the revolution, were sent to 
St. Augustine as prisoners. A number of these pa- 
triots, including General Gadsen, were closely confined 
in the fort for nearly a year. The others were allowed 
the freedom of the city, but were treated with great 
indignity and contempt. 



FLORIDA CEDED TO UNITED STATES. 

On the 10th of July, 1821, the flag of Spain, whicti 
for two and a half centuries had waived over St. Augus- 
tine, was lowered forever from the castle and in its 
place rose the Stars and Stripes, 

THE CIVIL WAR. 

On March 11th, 1862, the fort was surrendered 
without resistance to Commodore Rogers, of the Union 
forces, and remained garrisoned by the Federal troops 
until the end of the war. 



PRISONERS OF WAR. 

In 1875 Comanche, Kiowa and Arapaho Indians to 
the number of 77 were confined in Fort Marion. In 
1886 five hundred Apache prisoners of war were sent 



OFFICIAL HISTORY 



to Fort Marion, where they were kept for more than a 
year, after which they were transferred to Alabama. 
During the Spanish-American War of 1898 it was used 
as a mihtary prison. 



COMMENCEMENT AND DESCRIPTION OF THE 
PRESENT FORT. 

When the work of reconstruction was begun in 
1665, prisoners from Mexico were sent to assist in the 
work. Spanish governors and soldiers came and went 
and still the work went on. It was not until 1756, 
ninety-one years later, that the engineer in charge 
could place over the entrance the coat of arms of Spain 
with the inscription which, translated, reads : 

" Don Fernandez the Sixth being King of Spain, and 
Field Marshal Don Alonzo Fernandez de Herreda, Gov- 
ernor and Captain-General of the City of St. Augustine, 
Florida, and its province, this fortress was finished in 
the year 1756. The works were directed by the Cap- 
tain-Engineer, Don Pedro de Brazas y Garay." 

During all the Spanish rule the structure was 
known as San Marco Castle. After coming into pos- 
session of the United States the name was changed to 
Fort Marion, in honor of General Francis Marion, of 
Revolutionary fame. 



BUILT OF COQUINA. 

The fort is built of coquina (a shell rock of natural 
formation), which was obtained from quarries two 
miles below the present lighthouse, on what is known 



OFFICIAL fflSTORY 



as the Old Quarry Road, and which will richly repay a 
visit. The blocks of cut stone were transported down 
Quarry Creek and across the Bay on barges, and car- 
ried to their present position with cross-bars. Not- 
withstanding the fact that most of the work was done 
by slaves, we are told that upwards of thirty million 
dollars were expended on the work and the King of 
Spain, on learning of this, exclaimed, " Its curtains and 
bastions must be made of solid silver." 



BASTIONS AND TOWERS. 

Fort Marion has four nearly equal bastions (the 
triangular-shaped comers), known as St. Peter, St. 
Paul, St. Augustine and St. Charles, and four connect- 
ing walls called curtains. On three of the bastions are 
sentry towers, while on that to the northeast stands a 
high watch tower, commanding a view of both land and 
water. The walls are about 12 feet thick at the base, 
9 feet at the top, and about 25 feet high. 



PLAZA, RAMP AND TERREPLEIN. 

The covering over the space between the inner and 
outer walls is called the terreplein, and is about 40 feet 
wide. Upon it the guns were mounted. Around the 
outer edge of the terreplein is a wall three feet thick 
and six feet high, known as the parapet. This was 
pierced for 64 guns. On the waterfront the parapet 
was lower. The ascent to the terreplein. is up an incline 
plane known as the ramp, recently converted into steps. 
The upper part of the ramp is supported by a peculiar 
shaped arch, remarkable for the fact that it was con- 
structed without a keystone. The plaza, or inner court, 



OFFICIAL HISTORY 



is 100 feet square, and the casemates, with one or two 
exceptions, open into it. There are 26 casemates, five 
dungeons and one magazine. The only entrance is 
through the sallyport in the middle of the south curtain. 



CASEMATES. 

The two casemates at the right of the entrance 
were guard rooms and contain fireplaces. Leading off 
from the inner of these rooms is a large dungeon which 
was used as the general prison. 

The casemate at the left of the entrance was the 
commander's quarters, while the two rooms leading off 
from it were used by the other officers of his staff. 

COURT ROOM— (OSCEOLA). 

In the southwest corner is the court room, where 
the raised platform for the officers of the court may 
still be seen. In this room, in 1837, the famous Indian 
chief, Osceola, together with Coacoochee and Talmus 
Had jo, were imprisoned. At the rear of the room are 
the notches which the two latter dug in the masonry 
to enable them to climb to the ventilator 18 feet above 
the floor. Through the horizontal bars, 8 inches apart, 
in this ventilator they worked their way and dropped 
to the moat, about 25 feet below, from where they made 
their escape. Osceola refused to accompany them, say- 
ing that a white man had unjustly imprisoned him and 
a white man should set him free. Near the door are 
three notches dug by him in the wall to enable him to 
climb to the window ledge over the door, where he 
could sit and look out through the iron bars onto the 



10 OFFICIAL HISTORY 



court below. One can imagine nothing more pathetic 
than the sad face of this brave warrior as he sat there 
looking out through the iron bars of this cruel prison, 
waiting and hoping for the day when his unjust im- 
prisonment would be ended and he might again enjoy 
the freedom of his native wilds — the day which never 
came. Osceola was captured when under the protection 
of a flag of truce on October 22, 1837. He was confined 
in Fort Marion until January 1, 1838, when he was 
transferred to Fort Moultry in Charleston Harbor, 
where he died, broken-hearted, on the 30th of that 
month. 



COUNCIL CHAMBER AND POWDER MAGAZINE. 

In the northwest corner of the court is the room 
used as the council chamber. Leading from this is a 
dungeon, which was used as the powder magazine. At 
one side near the top of the magazine is a large niche 
with a small opening looking into the council room, but 
not visible from that side. It is supposed that this 
was so arranged in order that the Commandant could 
listen to the proceedings of the council without their 
knowledge. 



CHAPEL. 

At the north side of the court, directly opposite the 
sallyport, is the chapel. The entrance to this room was 
very ornamental. This work, which had become nearly 
obliterated by the action of the elements, has recently 
been reconstructed by the war department. Great care 
being taken in following the original plans which were 



OFFICIAL HISTORY 11 



obtained from the Spanish Government. Entering we 
see on each side the niches for holy water ; just beyond, 
on the right, pieces of cedar imbedded in the masonry 
mark the place where the confessional was fastened to 
the wall. At the rear is a raised stone platform for 
the altar, and above the altar a large niche where 
stood the patron saint. Saint Augustine. Looking up 
we. see near the spring of the arch the ends of the old 
timbers which supported the platform of the choir. 
Directly overhead, near the middle of the room, is 
a square hole from which hung an immense wooden 
cross called the rood. On either side of the chapel are 
doorways, through the iron bars of which prisoners 
could hear mass before being executed. The bars were 
necessary, as, at that time, if a prisoner gained access 
to a chapel and knelt at the altar, he could claim the 
right of sanctuary. 



SECRET DUNGEONS. 

At the northeast corner of the court is a room 
called the " pennancarrah." On the south wall of this 
room can be seen the marks where six crosses were 
fastened to the wall. Under these crosses prisoners 
were suspended in chains in such a manner they could 
neither sit or lie down. In this room were also several 
shrines. At the north side of this room we enter a 
dungeon, 30 feet long on the west side, 16 feet on the 
east, 17 feet on the south and 20 feet on the north. 
This, we are told, was a prison. Through an opening 
at the north side of this room we enter a room live feet 
wide at the east end, seven feet at the west, 20 feet long 
and 15 feet high. This room was used as a torture 
chamber. Several feet above the floor are the holes 



12 OFFICIAL HISTORY 



where the rotting timbers of a rack are said to have 
been found. The rack was a frame on which a man was 
fastened so that when the frame was stretched by 
means of levers the man's joints could be separated. 
If carried to the extreme he would be torn limb from 
limb. From this room we find a small opening 36 
inches wide by 30 inches high. This opening had been 
carefully walled up in such a manner as to almost 
baffle discovery, but was found by Lieutenant Tuttle 
and Colonel Dancy in 1835. Passing through this open- 
ing we enter a dungeon 20 feet long, 13 feet wide, and 
about seven feet high. In this dismal place, where not 
the faintest ray of daylight ever penetrates, and far 
from the sounds of the outside world, were found 
crumbled human bones. No one disputes the finding of 
these bones, but historians disagree somewhat as to 
the position in which they were found. In one comer 
is the outline of a hole called the oublette, which tradi- 
tion tells us extended down to quicksand and was used 
for the disposal of the dead. A visit to these rooms, 
which were accidentally discovered by the United 
States Government in 1835, should convince the most 
skeptical of the cruelty of those early days. 



MOAT. 

Around the fort is a moat 40 feet wide which is 
now filled in to the depth of about six feet in sand. 
Protecting the entrance in the barbican, which the 
waters of the moat formed into an island ; access being 
gained to the barbican and thence to the fort by means 
of drawbridges. Inside the drawbridge was the port- 
cullis, which ran in a groove still to be seen, directly 
above the portcullis may still be seen a hole, some five 



OFFICIAL HISTORY 13 



or six inches in diameter, through which melted lead 
could be poured upon the heads of invaders, should 
they succeed in crossing the drawbridge which, how- 
ever, they never did. Outside the moat on three sides 
is the covered way, a narrow level space for the mass- 
ing of troops, which widens in spots called places of 
arms. Outside of all, except on the water front, is the 
glacis, an earthen embankment leading up to the fort 
and so constructed that the guns on the walls could 
sweep every foot of it. 



HOT SHOT OVEN. 

» 
The hot shot oven and water battery were con- 
structed by the United States Government in 1835-42, 
the object being to heat shot white hot in the oven and 
fire them from the mortars at the vessels of an ap- 
proaching enemy. The present sea wall was construct- 
ed at this time at an expense of one hundred thousand 
dollars. 

In the walls of the fort, both front and back of the 
hot shot oven, can be seen the bullet holes where pris- 
oners were executed. 



CITY GATES AND EARLY DEFENSES OF 
1702— ST. AUGUSTINE— 1727. 

St. Augustine being surrounded by water on three 
sides, there was little danger of an attack except from 
the north. To guard against this, three lines of de- 
fense were constructed across the peninsula from the 
Matanzas to the San Sebastian Rivers. Fort Moosa 



14 OFFICIAL HISTORY 



was located on the Matanzas River, about two and one- 
half miles north of the present postoffice. This fort 
was of considerable size. It was a complete fortress tt 
with four bastions, moat, drawbridge, etc., and gar- 
risoned at one time with 133 men. A line of defense 
extended from this fort to the San Sebastian. The 
second line of defense extended across the peninsula 
near what is now Myrtle Avenue. The inner and last 
line ran from Fort Marion to the San Sebastian and the 
present CITY GATES were then the only entrance to 
the city. The gates as we see them today were built 
of stone, but the rest of the wall was of logs stood on 
end. On the outer side of this wall was a moat or deep 
ditch (a section of this may still be seen near the San 
Sebastian) filled with water, and the approach to the 
gates was over a drawbridge which was pulled up at 
night. An additional line of defense consisting of a 
breastworks of earth having on its summit several rows 
of Spanish bayonets planted so closely as to be almost 
impenetrable extended from the northern wall south on 
what is now the line of Cordova Street to a point al- 
most abreast the Barracks, from where it ran east and 
joined the Matanzas. 

Fort Marion is in all respects a castle built after 
the plan of those of the Middle Ages, and is today one 
of the best preserved specimens of the military archi- 
tecture of its time. It has withstood many sieges and 
proven itself capable on all occasions of resisting the 
enemy. Its casemates and dungeons are viewed with 
wonder and amazement by more than one hundred 
thousand visitors annually. 



OFFICIAL HISTORY 15 



ST. AUGUSTINE 
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE, 

1513 — ^March 27, Florida discovered by Ponce de Leon. 

1564 — July, Huguenot settlement on St. Johns River. 

1565 — Aug. 28th, St. Augustine settled by Menendez. 

1565 — Massacre of 350 French by Menendez, on Anas- 
tasia Island. 

1580 — Coquina discovered on Anastasia Island. 

1586 — Sir Francis Drake attacks St. Augustine. 

1638-40 — Appalachian Indians captured and sent to St. 
Augustine to labor on public works. 

1665 — Attack on St. Augustine by Pirate John Davis. 

1665 — Present fort commenced. 

1690 — Commencement of first sea wall. 

1702 — Governor Moore, of Carolina, attacks St. Augus- 
tine. 

1702-27 — City Gates constructed. 

1740 — Gov. Oglethorpe, of Georgia, besieges fort. 

1740-43— Fort Matanzas built. 

1756 — Completion of Fort Marion, 

1763 — Florida ceded to England. 

1767 — Nicholas Tumbull brings Minorcans to Florida. 

1776 — ^Minorcans freed by courts from contract with 
Turnbull and settle at St. Augustine. 

1783 — Florida re-ceded by Great Britain to Spain. 

1793 — St. Augustine Cathedral begun. 

1812 — Spanish monument erected in plaza. 

1821 — July 12th, Stars and Stripes raised over Fort 
Marion. 

1833 — Protestant Episcopal Church consecrated. 

1835-42 — Present sea wall built by U. S. Government. 

1835 — Massacre of 139 men under Major Dade. 

1835-42 — Seminole war. 

1837 — Escape of Coacooche and Had jo from Fort 
Marion. 



16 OFFICIAL fflSTORY 



1861 — Fort Marion seized by Florida troops. 

1862 — March 11, Fort Marion occupied by Federal 
troops. 

1872 — Confederate monument erected in plaza. 

1887— Cathedral burned. 

1885-87— Ponce de Leon Hotel built. 

1886-87 — Band of Apaches prisoners of war at Fort 
Marion. 

1887— Methodist Church built. 

1888— Cathedral rebuilt. 

1890 — Presbyterian Church built. 

1906— Y. M. C. A. building erected. 

1913 — Chamber of Commerce organized. 

1914— April 2nd, the big fire. 

1915 — St. Augustine Historical Society and Institute of 
Science moved into their home, Fort Marion. 

1915 — John Anderson Highway completed, between St. 
Augustine and Jacksonville. 

1915 — July 17th City adopts Commission Form of Gov- 
ernment. 

1915— July, New $100,000, 18-hole Golf Course, located 
just north of City, in progress. 




For a more complete history of the points of inter- 
est in St. Augustine see Historical St. Augustine, the 
new guide book by the same publishers. Fully illustr- 
ated with 62 color plates. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




014 541 339 4 



St Augustine Institute of 

Science and 

Historical Society 



:)on<:^c 



HOME IN OLD FORT MARION 



WHERE the Society maintains, and is con- 
tinually adding to its valuable and interesting 
collection of historic relics. Competent and 
courteous guide service is maintained at the 
Fort from 8:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. m. on week days, of 
which visitors so desiring may avail themselves. 
These guides receive no fixed fee but the compensa- 
tion which the society shall receive for their work is 
left to the discretion of the visitor. 

Having recently lost its valuable collection by fire 
the Society is now actively engaged in accumulating 
another and with this object in view urges, that any- 
one possessing any old relics, documents, etc., kindly 
turn them over to the Society, either as a loan or 
donation for safe keeping in this fire-proof structure. 
Any donations for the purchase of historic relics will 
also be greatly appreciated. 

St. Jlugustine Institute of Science 
and Historical Society, 

St. Augustine, Florida 

.j^^^j^ 16— CLARK'S ART PRINTERY 

•^S^^sS^-' JACKSONVILLE, FLA. 



